Kisses
by S. Muffin
Summary: Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.
1. First Kiss

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

* * *

**First Kiss**  
By S. Muffin 

(AU. Satoshi/Ash is 4 and Haruka/May is 3)

Translations:

Kaa-chan: Mom  
yukata: a simple kimono worn during Summer  
obi: the large belt that goes around a kimono.  
Oi: Hey

* * *

Haruka looked at her surroundings with wonder sparkling in her ocean-blue eyes. The air was thick with the smell of various delicious foods and the sounds of children laughing and 'grown-ups' talking echoed in her ears. There were so many lights and paper lanterns hanging from various wires along the street, which was filled with people who came to partake in the Summer Festival. Truthfully, it was a bit overwhelming for the young girl, who was tightly holding onto her mother's hand. 

"Haruka-chan," her mother, Mitsuko, said softly, kneeling down so they were at eye-level with one another. "Mama has to find Papa. Stay right here by this stand and wait for me, okay?"

Fear flooded into her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to be left alone, especially with so many strangers around her.

Mitsuko gave her a reassuring smile. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Haruka-chan. See all the children playing games?" She looked at the stand beside them where a group of kids were trying to catch koi fish. "Maybe they'll ask you to play."

Though she was still hesitant, Haruka nodded. "Okay."

Mitsuko kissed her daughter's cheek, stood up, and then disappeared into the sea of people.

Whimpering quietly, Haruka turned around and lowered her gaze the ground, hoping that her mother wouldn't be gone long. She was too shy to stay by herself.

"Kaa-chan! I wanna play that game!"

Haruka lifted her head, turning her face in the direction that the voice came from. A young boy with raven hair dressed in a dark blue yukata eagerly tugged on his mother's hand, pulling her toward the fishing game.

His mother laughed. "All right, Satoshi. Here." She pulled a small change purse from her obi and handed the young boy some change. "Run along and play, now. I'm going to find some grown-ups to talk to."

He grinned. "Sankyuu, Kaa-chan!"

Haruka watched the boy named Satoshi as he hurriedly paid the old man running the stand and then went to catch the small koi fish. Her eyes widened in surprise when he caught one on his first try.

"Yeah! I got one!" he cheered.

The old man smiled and handed Satoshi his prize: the small fish he caught in a plastic bag and a large, delicious lollypop.

The candy was too big to fit in his mouth, but he somehow managed to stick it in halfway. Haruka continued to look at him in amazement.

Suddenly, he looked up and caught her staring, a curious expression on his face. Haruka blushed and dropped her gaze to the ground again, nervously fumbling with the sleeves of her yellow yukata.

"Oi."

Gasping, Haruka's head shot up and she came face-to-face with Satoshi. "Y-yes?"

He didn't reply, but he continued to stare at her curiously. Haruka averted her eyes, incredible shyness overcoming her.

"What's your name?" he finally asked, taking the lollypop out of his mouth.

"H-Haruka," she said softly, glancing at him once more.

"Haruka-chan, hah?" Satoshi grinned at her. "You're cute."

Her blush deepened, coloring her cheeks a brilliant shade of red. "Eh?"

"Here!" He held out his lollypop in front of her face. "You can have it."

"R-really?"

"Yep!"

Smiling, Haruka hesitantly took the lollypop from his hand. "Thank you," she said, putting the candy to her lips and tasting it with the tip of her tongue.

"Come on, let's go catch some more fish!" Satoshi suggested, taking her hand into his. "I'll show you how."

Haruka nodded, happily sucking on her lollypop, and allowed Satoshi to lead her to the game.

* * *

You guys get the kiss part, right? (Satoshi sucks on lollypop, then Haruka sucks lollypop...get it?) 


	2. You Know

**You Know...  
**By S. Muffin

(AU. Ash is 15 and May is 13)

* * *

"You know, I've been walking you home everyday for the past month now," a certain black haired teenager said, glancing at the girl beside him from the corner of his eye.

May caught his gaze, giving him a curious look. "And?"

He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Well, as soon I get out of school, I have to walk all the way over to the junior high school to come get you."

"Is it that much of a bother?" she asked with a small frown.

"No, it's not that. I just wanna know why you want me to walk you home all the time," he said. "The first time I did it was because you had all those books and it looked like you were going to fall over."

May laughed at the memory. She had to carry four, large, heavy textbooks home that day and Ash just happened to see her stumbling around the sidewalk while he was walking home as well. So, being the sweet tenth grader he was, he offered to carry them for her.

"This is the only time I get to see you during the day," she replied. "You basically said it yourself. We don't go to the same school. Not yet, at least."

"Well, yeah, but why did you ask me to walk you home again the next day?" he asked.

"Because...well, you were really nice to me," she said, smiling at him as a light blush colored her cheeks. "And we got along really well, so I thought we could be friends or something."

_That, and I really like you._

"Oh," he muttered, eyeing her flushed cheeks. "You okay? You're face is kinda—"

"I'm fine!" she interrupted, her smile broadening. "Don't worry!"

He raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but he decided to let it go. "If you say so..."

The rest of the walk was continued in silence, until they finally reached May's house.

"So, you think I could see you tomorrow?" May asked, standing in front of her door.

Ash gave her a confused look. "But tomorrow's Saturday. There's no school."

Blushing again, May laughed nervously. "Y-yeah, I know. I thought maybe we could...you know, hang out? If you're not too busy, or anything."

"N-no, I'm free," he said, a bit surprised to hear himself stutter. "How should I get a hold of you?"

"Just stop by around noon or something." She smiled shyly, feeling butterflies swarm in her stomach.

He smiled back at her. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

May nodded. "Yep."

He turned around and was about to walk away, but a sudden tug on his wrist prevented him from doing so.

"Wait!" May exclaimed.

"What is it?" he asked, turning around to face her.

Standing on her tiptoes, May quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek before disappearing inside her house.

Ash's brows rose in surprise as he brought his hand up to touch the side of his face where May's lips had been. His fingertips, he noticed, were much cooler than the skin beneath them.

* * *

Fahaha he's blushing :D

I can't believe I updated this soon. These little minishots are fun. Anyway, review if you wish.


	3. The Library

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

* * *

**The Library  
** By S. Muffin

(AU. Ash and May are both around 14-15 years old)

* * *

"Hey, Ash?"

The black haired boy looked up from his math homework, eyes landing on his girlfriend's face. "Yeah?"

"I have a question," she said quietly, considering they were in the library. Reaching over the table, she took the pencil from his hand and put it aside, covering his fingers with hers. "And I want an honest answer."

A curious look covered his features. "Okay. What is it?"

"Why haven't you kissed me yet?"

His brows rose in surprise. That was certainly unexpected. "Uh..."

"I mean, we've been dating for a few months now," she went on. "You've met my family and I've met yours. And there have been plenty of opportunities for you to just kiss me. So, why haven't you?"

He felt his cheeks heat up. In all honesty, he had never given kissing much thought. But he couldn't say that to May without giving off the impression that he didn't care, because he did. He just figured that when the time was right it would present itself.

Well, it definitely presented itself all right.

Wondering whether he was going to say anything or not, May decided to speak up again. "You don't think I'm too ugly or anything, do you?"

"No!" he exclaimed, and then gave a start when the librarian shushed him. "Gyah! Sorry..."

"Then why not?" she asked. "You can tell me, Ash."

"I...well, uh..." He fumbled with the words in his mind, trying to think of a good answer.

_C'mon, Ash, _he told himself. _Don't make yourself look stupid. Think, think, think—_

_Maybe I should just do it._

His eyes widened. That was...actually, that was a pretty good idea.

"Because...er, come with me," he said, getting up from his chair and pulling her with him. "I need to, uh, show you something."

He led her past the other tables and into the many isles of bookshelves, looking around for a place where they could be alone.

Confused, May followed silently, letting her boyfriend drag her without any complaints. _Something's up with this boy..._

He continued to pull her until they finally came across an empty, forgotten section of the library, filled with books that no one had read for probably over ten years. After making sure that nobody was around, Ash turned around and faced May.

"Okay, what's going on?" she asked. "What was so important that it couldn't wait until—"

Before she could say another word, Ash leaned over and covered her lips with his own. May's eyes widened, staring at his downturn lids with shock.

Growing bolder, Ash lowered his hands to her hips and pushed her back against one of the bookshelves. He gently took her lower lip between his teeth, urging her unresponsive lips to move.

The initial surprise of the kiss wore away, and May tentatively parted her lips to return the kiss. She placed her arms over Ash's shoulders and pulled him even closer, intensifying what was already becoming a heated kiss. It was such a thrill to finally be able to feel his lips on hers, and the secretiveness that came with making out in a public library made it all the more thrilling.

"Was that a good answer?" Ash asked breathlessly, once they broke apart.

May nodded, not entirely remembering what she had asked in the first place. She vaguely recalled something about kissing...

He gave her a small smile and then took her hand once more. "Good. Let's go finish our homework now."

* * *

Yay! Muffin posted an actual kiss this time :D 


	4. Sky High

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

**Sky High**  
By S. Muffin

(Cute fluffiness. Ash is 17 and May is 15)

* * *

"Ready, May?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Chuckling at her dry tone, Ash turned his body forward. "All right, Charizard. Up we go!"

The large, fire-breathing pokemon growled in response, lifting his wings and taking off into the air. May gasped and tightened her arms around her boyfriend's mid-section, burying her face into his back as they ascended higher and higher into the sky.

Today was the first time the couple had seen each other in almost a year. Traveling in different regions of the world was hard on their relationship and Ash wanted to make the most of the little time they had together. So he decided to take her for a ride.

"Aw, c'mon, May. It's not that bad."

She hesitantly opened one eye. "How high up are we?"

A curious expression came onto Ash's face as he glanced down. "Hm. Pretty high."

May gulped nervously. "How...lovely."

Ash looked at her over his shoulder and smiled. "You'll be fine, May. Just don't look down."

Gathering what was left of her courage, she lifted her face to meet his gaze.

"There ya go," he assured softly. "Sit up and enjoy the view."

She craned her neck up and looked over his shoulder, her eyes suddenly widening at the sight she saw. The setting sun over the horizon appeared as if it were directly ahead of them, covered by wispy, pink and orange clouds. It was almost unreal to see such a scene in person.

"It's so...beautiful," she murmured, mesmerized.

Ash smirked to himself. "It's not the only beautiful thing."

Her cheeks reddened at the comment. "Ash..."

Taking May's hands, Ash moved them away from his body as he carefully swung his leg over Charizard's back, and then turned around completely so he could face her.

"I miss you, y'know," he said softly, the tips of his fingers playing with a few strands of her light brown hair. "Traveling apart really sucks."

May nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Next year, let's find a place with contests and gym battles so we can go together. I'm sure our rivals can manage without us for a while."

He chuckled again. "I like that plan. Why haven't we done that yet?"

May shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe traveling apart makes our time together that much sweeter."

Smiling gently, Ash leaned forward and kissed her, pulling her to him with his hands at her waist. May closed her eyes and slid her hands up his arms and onto his shoulders, softly returning the kiss.

"Still scared?" he asked, resting his forehead against hers once they pulled apart.

May sighed, giving him a small smile. "A little, but not as much."

* * *

Ah that was so cheesy D:

I tried to keep Ash as in-character as possible. It's always tricky when you age the characters. But hey, he can't be _completely _clueless when he's seventeen.


	5. By The Firelight

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

* * *

**By The Firelight**  
By S. Muffin

(Cute fluffiness. Ash is around 16-17 and May is 15)

* * *

May watched as the flames before her danced, crackling and sparking from the burning wood. Fire had always fascinated her and that fascination only grew after she watched her Blaziken perform fire-based attacks all his life, from his time as a tiny Torchic to his current and final evolution.

Fire was free. With no restrictions, it was able to move any way it chose to. She wanted to be like fire. She wanted to travel the world without limitation. She wanted to go see new places without anyone holding her back.

That was why she was so lucky to be traveling with Ash Ketchum.

Two arms circled around her, pulling her back against a warm body. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Ash grinning at her. She smiled softly in return.

"Staring at the fire again?" he asked.

She nodded, turning her attention back to the flames.

Ash laughed lightly and lowered his chin onto her shoulder. "You look pretty by the firelight, you know."

May blushed. "Ash..."

"What?" He laughed some more. "It's true."

She smiled again, leaning back comfortably against his chest. "Thank you."

Ash was fire. He was spirited, wild and free with no restraints, qualities that she admired and loved in him. But what she loved the most was how he supported her unlike anybody else. He encouraged her dreams and had the utmost faith in her ability. His fire made her own flames grow.

She suddenly turned around in his arms and kissed him, his face in her hands. She felt him tense in surprise but it faded as quickly as it came when he placed his hands on her waist and held her close. She let her fire loose, their flames joining and growing together, spreading the heat that they shared all throughout their bodies.

* * *

Ah...I wasn't sure if this should go into Kisses or be it's own little drabble. There's a kiss but...bahhh I don't know. Whatever, it's a part of Kisses now.

It's shorter than the rest of the minishots, but I think it's one of my favorites. I've been writing about fire a lot lately and then this just came to me. So yeah. Sorry that it's late.

I know Ash is OOC. In my head, when writing this minishot, I pictured that Ash and May have been together for a while and since I aged them I feel like I should make it so Ash knows how to be romantic. So...just deal with it :)


	6. Kisses Or lack thereof

**Author's Notes: **This was a really random idea that popped into my head. It probably makes no sense. But I needed to update something. So, here it is.

* * *

**Kisses. Or lack thereof.****  
**_By S. Muffin_

_--_

"So, let me get this straight. Every time I compliment or say something nice about you, you're gonna kiss me?"

"That's the idea, yes."

Ash raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why?"

"Because you don't kiss me enough," May replied.

"I—what?"

"You heard me."

"I—I don't?"

May shook her head.

"But—"

"Ash, we've been dating for three months," May interrupted. "_Three _months. And you've only kissed me like, what, twice?"

"It's been more than _that_," Ash protested.

"Okay then. Name all of the times you kissed me."

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

"I...okay then." He paused for a moment or two as he tried to think back. "Uh...the first time was our first date."

"Yep."

"And then...there was that time when I walked you home."

"Mhm," May said with a nod. "Which is kind of sad, considering you walk me home everyday."

"May—"

"Keep going."

"Er...well I kissed you yesterday before your dentist appointment."

"On the cheek."

Ash gave her a confused look. "That doesn't count?"

"Nope."

"Oh."

"So...?" she trailed off.

"So what?"

"Continue."

"Well, uh...there was that time when..." Ash sighed. "Um..."

"Mind drawing a blank?" May asked, a smug smirk on her face, knowing that she had been right and he had been wrong.

Ash, stubbornly, didn't reply.

"See?" May exclaimed. "I was right! You don't kiss me enough!"

Ash felt more heat flood to his cheeks as he scowled, muttering something about not wanting to push her.

"Ash, I'm your girlfriend," May said. "I _want _you to kiss me. So, don't be shy."

"I'm not shy," he grumbled, still stubborn and still blushing.

May laughed softly. "Okay, okay, you're not shy. It doesn't matter. We're going to make up for lost time now. So, c'mon."

"C'mon what?" he asked, starting to regain his composure.

"Say something nice about me," she said. "Then I'll kiss you."

"Uh...you're nice?"

"Ah...well, okay, I guess that counts." Leaning over, May gently pressed her lips to his.

"Um..." Ash began after she pulled away, a faint blush coloring his cheeks again, "you're pretty?"

May raised an eyebrow. "Do you have to say it like that?"

"Oh, sorry. You're pretty, May."

She smiled brightly at him before leaning over to give him another kiss, one much longer than the first. "Thank you!"

A goofy grin spread on Ash's face and he chuckled. "No, thank _you_."

"Hey, there's no room for sarcasm here." She poked his forehead. "Now, keep going."

He pushed her hand away from his face. "Okay then." He smiled. "You're the best girlfriend in the world."

She laughed and kissed him again. "Aw, thank you, Ash! And you're the best boyfriend in the world."

Smirking, Ash leaned over and gave _her_ a kiss this time. "Thank you, May."

"You know, maybe we should just forget the compliments." Standing up, May leaned over the table and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Just kiss me."

Ash's eyes widened as he was suddenly pulled up out of his seat. He stared at her silently for a moment or two, surprised from her actions, before smirking again. "I like the way you think."

She returned the smirk. "Thank you," she replied, and then leaned in to kiss him yet again.


	7. First Aid

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping mini-shots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

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**A/N: **This (surprise) update of Kisses is dedicated to all of the lovely people who have been reviewing my stories lately—I hope you all know who you are! The kind and inspiring reviews and messages you've all been sending me recently are what helped motivate me to write this. I never intended to abandon Kisses altogether, and I feel really bad for not updating it in so long; I just haven't had any ideas for any new mini-shots. But after receiving a handful of really nice messages the last few days, I woke up this morning with the strong urge to write something for it. I appreciate everything you all have had to say and I love hearing from every single one of you. It means a lot to me that you have all taken the time to send me such thoughtful, thorough, and encouraging reviews. Thanks for being such awesome and devoted readers!:D

* * *

**First Aid  
**By S. Muffin

(Ash and May are both around 17 years old)

* * *

"You really need to be more careful, you know."

Ash scowled and grumbled incoherently under his breath.

"Well, it's true." Shaking her head, May gently dabbed antibiotic ointment onto her boyfriend's left cheek. "I mean, look at you. You're totally scratched up."

"It's not like I _meant _for this to happen," Ash mumbled in his defense. He then cringed as the ointment started to take effect, the scrape on his cheek now stinging mercilessly. "Ouch!"

"Oh, hush," May scolded. "Just hold still. I'll be done in a minute."

Ash sighed, crossing his arms stubbornly and glaring daggers at the tube of ointment in her hands. He really wasn't looking forward to enduring even more pain. "May, I told you already it was an accident. And you should know just how accident-prone I am by now. The important thing is that we're back at camp now and I'm still in once piece."

"Barely. You can't just go blindly chasing after wild Pokemon that you want to capture, Ash," she continued with a roll of her eyes. "That's how you end up tripping over rose bushes and falling down cliffs."

"It was more like a ledge." He paused, a guilty look momentarily crossing his face. "A really..._tall _ledge."

"Right. A ledge." May gave Ash a soft yet unconvinced smile as she began to apply the antibiotic ointment to one last cut on the bridge of his nose. "Okay, that's the last of it. Let me just find a band-aid and then you'll be good to go, 'kay? I should have a few left in my pack."

Ash squeezed his eyes shut and nodded stiffly. His nose felt like it would burst into flames any second now.

He heard May laugh softly as she shuffled through her bag. "You're such a big baby, Ash."

"It's not my fault!" He opened his eyes and scowled at her again. "That stupid cream you were using hurts more than actually getting the cuts did, you know."

Still smiling, May peeled back the wrapping on the bandage before carefully placing it across his nose, smoothing out the edges to secure it. She then gently took his face into her hands, leaned forward, and gave him a loud, exaggerated kiss on top of the band-aid.

"There," she announced as she pulled back, beaming at him. "All set?"

"Well..." He looked up at her with big, innocent, yet scheming eyes, and then pointed to the tiniest scrape above his top lip. "This one right here still hurts a bit, too."

"Oh, is that so?" She laughed. "Should I take another look at that one too?"

Ash shrugged. "I wouldn't oppose."

Leaning forward once more, May pressed her lips to the spot Ash had pointed to, only this time she lingered there longer than she had when she kissed his nose. Ash smiled against her lips and, placing his hands on her hips, brought her in closer.

"Better?"

"Much."


	8. Secret Kiss

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

* * *

**A/N: **Happy 4th of July to all you other USA residents out there!

To celebrate, this is my present to you guys. It's the longest minishot of Kisses with a record word count of 902. Happy reading!

* * *

**Secret Kiss  
**By S. Muffin

(Ash and May are both around 17 years old)

* * *

There were several things about traveling alone that Ash really enjoyed.

Of course, by "alone" he meant alone with his girlfriend, just the two of them, without her brother Max or Brock or any of their other friends accompanying them along the way. It wasn't that he didn't like traveling in a big group with the rest of their friends, but after nearly four months of revisiting the Sinnoh region with only May by his side Ash could easily think of at least three perks he had grown very accustomed to that came along with the experience.

Firstly, less people meant less arguing, which in turn helped create a much more peaceful atmosphere. He and May did have the occasional disagreement over where to make camp or where to eat lunch on a given day, but, overall, making decisions was much easier now that there weren't multiple opinions to consider.

Secondly, the pair was able to grow closer as a couple. Being alone meant that they were sometimes each other's only source of human contact and that gave them the opportunity to devote more time and effort into strengthening their relationship.

Finally, and most importantly in Ash's eyes, kissing had become a much more pleasant activity.

Now that it was just the two of them, Ash and May no longer had to worry about controlling their public displays of affection in order to accommodate their traveling partners, who had proved to be much more relentless in their opinions than Pikachu and their other Pokemon were when it came to such displays. They could now hold hands, hug, cuddle, and, of course, _kiss_ whenever they felt like doing so without worrying about how the others would react. No longer did they have to anxiously wait for the rest of their traveling group to fall asleep in order to steal a few moments of intimacy. No longer did they have to devise secret plans in order to "mysteriously" become separated from everyone else just so they could walk and hand in hand without being teased. No longer did they have to watch what they say or speak in whispers so no one would overhear their private conversations. They could be a couple one hundred percent of time and not having any second thoughts about it whatsoever.

However, Ash hadn't expected to suddenly run into Dawn earlier that day while he and May were on their way to Hearthome City. Dawn had been on her way back home to Twinleaf Town and asked to temporarily join them for the night so they could catch up. While Ash was more than excited to see one of his closest friends again, he couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed to have to relinquish his and May's new-found freedom out of the blue.

Luckily for them, the Sinnoh native still insisted on sleeping inside her tent while camping outside.

"I have to admit," May whispered breathlessly between eager kisses, "I kinda missed sneaking around like this."

Ash held off on his reply, choosing instead to continue with his original course of action—kissing his girlfriend senseless. He slowly lowered May down onto his sleeping bag, not once breaking the contact of their lips, and shifted his weight onto his elbows so he was hovering above her. Once they were both comfortably settled, May lifted her arms and wound them securely around Ash's shoulders, bringing him closer to her as he proceeded to intensify what could already be considered an intense kiss.

"What's so great about it?" he finally asked after several minutes had passed, taking care to speak in hushed tones so that neither Dawn nor Pikachu would wake up. Tipping his head back in the direction of the Dawn's tent behind them, he added, "We could get caught any second now."

May smiled up at him, a knowing glint in her eyes. "I know."

Ash raised an eyebrow in amusement, a small smirk coming onto his face.

"That's the fun part," she continued, winking at him. "Don't you think so?"

Ash chuckled quietly. "I guess I could see that." His expression then fell. "I just hope we don't have to make it a regular habit...again. Keeping this up for more than just one night takes too much effort."

"True," May agreed. Noticing his now less-than-amused disposition, she leaned up to gently peck his lips once more. "I just forgot how much of a rush it could be. Everyone else is fast asleep, totally unaware of what's going on, but still just a few feet away, while you and I secretly lie here in your sleeping bag like this..." She trailed off thoughtfully, her eyes locked on his as her fingers traced small patterns along the back of his neck and into his dark hair.

Ash could feel his spine start to bristle under her feather-light touches, and he did all that he could to suppress an oncoming shudder. His rapid heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears as he stared down at her, the beautiful and enticing girl that even after all this time could still bring him to such a state. He inhaled deeply in order to steady his short, shallow breaths and he didn't miss how cool the night's gentle breeze now felt against his flushed skin.

"Kiss me again, Ash," she ordered softly, the same deliberate sparkle still present in her gaze.

He did just that.


	9. I Mustache You A Question

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

* * *

**A/N: **This is a really (really, really, _REALLY_) random idea that popped into my head the other morning based off of a picture I saw online. The title of this minishot and another one that I will be posting within the next few days will tell you what that picture said! And I'm sure most of you have already seen it as well, haha.

I apologize in advance for the complete lack of sense this minishot makes. There really is no point behind it at all. The original prompt is very a lame joke as well, but those make me laugh the most.

And yes, keep an eye out for a second update within the next few days. It will be a continuation to this one.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it still! Reviews, as always, are very much appreciated.

* * *

**I Mustache You A Question…  
**By S. Muffin  
Part 1/2

(Ash and May are both around 18 years old)

* * *

May giggled.

As the sound entered his ears and he felt his girlfriend's lips twitching against his for the third time within the last five minutes, Ash Ketchum pulled his head back and regarded her with an impatient scowl. "Seriously, May?"

"I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly, though her shoulders were still shaking with laughter. "Really, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"

"Could you just tell me what it is you're laughing about already?" he demanded as he sat up from the sleeping bag they had been lying on, crossing his arms over his chest.

May smiled up at him sheepishly. "It's nothing, Ash, I promise. I just have a really bad case of the giggles tonight, that's all."

Sighing, Ash rolled his eyes.

"I promise I won't interrupt anymore," she continued, and with that said, she too sat up and attempted to resume the kiss they had been sharing before she had ruined the moment.

"'A case of the giggles?'" he reiterated, scooting backwards so he was out of her reach. "I don't buy that for a second, May."

"But it's true!" she exclaimed. She bit her lip and tried her hardest not to laugh. "Honest!"

"You're a really bad liar," Ash said flatly. "It's obvious that there's something going on that you aren't telling me. Would you just spit it out already?"

"Ash, there isn't—"

"Spit it out!"

"Your mustache keeps tickling me!" she blurted, and without further hesitation she proceeded to burst out into yet another fit of giggles, falling back against the sleeping bag once more.

Ash blinked slowly. "My...mustache?" He brought a hand up to his upper lip, the tips of his fingers brushing against the small amount of stubble that resided there. "You mean _that's_ what this is all about?"

May nodded. "I'm sorry!" She continued to giggle. "I was trying really hard to ignore it but you're just so..._prickly_!"

Ash watched her as her giggles suddenly erupted into uncontrollable laughter. He shook his head at her antics, but couldn't help but smile. "You're a weirdo."

"Hey!" May flew back up into a sitting position. "Am not! And there's a very easy solution to this problem, you know."

"You're right," he agreed. "Quit laughing every time I try to kiss you and then our _'problem'_ will be solved."

"Actually," May said as she reached over to grab his backpack, digging around in the front pocket before finally pulling something out, "I think _this_ would be much more helpful."


	10. But I'll Shave It For Later

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

* * *

**A/N: **Kisses has now reached 10 chapters! Yahoo! I apologize that it's taken so long to reach this little milestone, but now that it's here I'm a very happy camper. Kisses is also about to hit 70 reviews! I can hardly believe it! I just want to take a second to thank each and every one of you guys and gals for all of the nice reviews you've sent me lately. I love hearing from you all!

One last thing before I stop rambling: I've started a new blog that I'll be using for fanfiction and fandom related things, with a few other occasional posts here and there. The link and information is on my main profile page and I would love for you guys to check it out if you're interested!

* * *

...**But I'll Shave It For Later  
**By S. Muffin  
Part 2/2

(Ash and May are both around 18 years old)

* * *

"Hey, Ash! Are you almost done?"

Ash glanced back at May over his shoulder. "I'll be back in just a minute, 'kay?"

"Okay!" She grinned at him, before turning her attention back to the campfire.

Ash sent her a small smile in return and then turned back around so that he was once again facing the stream that he was currently kneeling in front of. He bent forward and splashed some of the cool water onto his face, and then picked up the two objects he had momentarily set aside.

In one hand, he had a small can of shaving cream. In the other, he held his razor.

He'd already taken care of a few stray hairs on his chin and across jaw line, and it was now time for him to turn his attention to what had started this whole thing in the first place: his mustache.

Then again, he hardly thought that the stubble above his top lip could even be referred to as an actual _mustache. _Growing facial hair wasn't a card he had been dealt with once he hit adulthood, but he was perfectly content with that fact. The fact that May had actually noticed it, though, still somewhat surprised him. Admittedly, he _had _forgotten to shave earlier that morning before he and May left the Pokemon Center they had been staying at, but they had both woken up late and had been in a hurry, and he didn't think that a few extra hairs on his face would really make that much of a difference. Never would he have imagined that such an insignificant detail (insignificant in his eyes, at least) would be enough to interrupt a romantic moment between them. Yet here he was, sitting in front of a stream at eleven o' clock at night, shaving.

The lengths that he would go to for this girl, he realized, were limitless.

Once he was finished, he rinsed off his face one final time, put his belongings back in his bag, and then made his way back over to the campfire where May was sitting and lied down beside her.

"All finished?" she asked cheerfully, lowering herself down onto the ground next to him and resting her chin on top of his chest.

Ash nodded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "Yep. Does my face look less _prickly _now?"

May laughed. "It does, but I think I'll have to conduct a quick inspection just to be a hundred percent sure." Smiling at him, she scooted forward and then pressed her lips to his. As the seconds passed with May not breaking out into another hysterical fit of giggles, Ash, finally feeling relieved, tightened his grip around her and kissed her back, picking up where they had left off.


	11. Hello Again

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

* * *

**A/N: **So, on my blog I wrote that I would update Kisses sometime next week, but inspiration struck today, at 1:30 AM eastern time. Now it's around 8 PM and this minishot is finally finished.

(Plug: go to my profile and find the link to my blogger if you are interested in hearing about updates and whatnot. End plug).

Anyway, this is another fairly random minishot. I didn't really have anything specific in mind; I just kinda sat down and wrote until I felt like I was finished. Hope you all enjoy it, though! As always, reviews are encouraged and very much appreciated.

* * *

**Hello Again  
**By S. Muffin

(Ash and May are both around 18 years old)

* * *

His biggest regret was letting her go.

It had been inevitable, of course. Traveling to Johto and competing in the Pokemon Contests there was something that May had her heart set on, and Ash realized now that there was nothing he could have said or done to change her mind. It had broken his heart to have to say goodbye to yet another close friend knowing that they could go months, maybe even years at a time without seeing each other, but it would have been selfish of him to hold her back from her dream. He only wished he had known back then, when she made the decision to leave, what he knew now.

At the time, he was still just a twelve year old boy, so he didn't fully understand what exactly he would be missing out on in the years to come. But as time went by and as they continued to keep in touch—vidphone calls that would last well into the night, handfuls of scheduled visits between journeys, endless letters and postcards exchanged— Ash came to appreciate the full potential of his and May's relationship.

That was when he began to regret not asking her to stay with him. The more time they spent the apart, the more trouble he had trying to figure out what exactly they were. Were they still just friends? Were they a couple? Friends with (minor) benefits? They'd never actually discussed it, and working out the details was challenging when they weren't even on the same half of the world. All he knew for sure was that he missed her, and it would be at least another six months before he would see her again, when she would be competing in the upcoming Grand Festival in Hoenn and he would be cheering for her in the stands.

That was why the last thing he ever would have expected when he came home from the grocery store was to find May waiting for him.

No more than half an hour ago, his mother had sent him out to buy milk and bread, a routine chore he had done hundreds of times since he was old enough to walk and talk. Nothing like this had ever happened before. But now there she was, sitting on the steps of his front porch.

Ash stopped dead in his tracks and blinked, wondering for a second if he was only imagining things. When he opened his eyes again he was relieved to see that she was still there, a large grin now spreading across her face. Slowly, she stood up.

He continued to stare at her, awe-stricken and at a complete loss for words. He looked her up and down several times, taking her in and memorizing all that had changed and everything that had remained the same. Normally, he would have been completely overwhelmed by excitement, but he was so shocked he didn't even know what to do.

"Hi," he said at last.

Without warning, May quickly crossed the distance between them and kissed him hard on the mouth. Ash stumbled backwards, his hands finding her waist in order to steady them both, before he eagerly returned the kiss. He felt May slide her fingers into the back of his hair and in response he wrapped his arms completely around her and pulled her in close. It wasn't until several minutes had passed that he had realized that the grocery bag he had been carrying had completely fallen out of his grasp.

"Hi," she replied breathlessly after she had pulled back, her cheeks flushed and a shy smile returning to her face.

Ash smiled back at her, and then leaned in to kiss her once more.


	12. Bedtime Stories

Kisses: A series of Advanceshipping minishots featuring Ash, May, and kisses.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello, all! And welcome to the newest addition of _Kisses_. It's really random but I was eager to update and wrote the first idea that came to mind. So, I hope you all enjoy it regardless and please feel free to leave any comments, critiques, questions, and anything else you can think of in a review!

**Disclaimer: **The excerpts/quotes featured in this minishot were taken from J.D. Salinger's _The Catcher in the Rye_. In other words, that content is NOT mine. I guess I'll also mention I don't own Pokemon either, but I'm sure you all know that by now.

* * *

**Bedtime Stories**

By S. Muffin

* * *

"'Even though it was so late, old Ernie's was jam-packed. Mostly with prep school jerks and college jerks. Almost every damn school in the world gets out earlier for Christmas vacation than the schools _I _go to...'"

Sometimes, when they were having trouble sleeping at night, Ash and May would find a book to read together in order to help pass the time. Not being the most eloquent speaker in the world, Ash opted out of actually reading the novels aloud and instead put his girlfriend up to the job, while he made himself comfortable either in or on top of his sleeping bag. May had a very soothing and pleasant voice as it was and he really liked listening to her as she read to him. She just had a natural ability to read aloud without stuttering or losing her place or sounding like she was about to run out of breath at any second, something that happened to him quite often.

Tonight, however, he was finding it much more difficult than usual to concentrate on what May was reading. The book itself was, in his opinion, turning out to be unbelievably boring (before they had made camp he'd asked her, "Will there be any Pokemon in it?" and when May told him no he'd already begun losing interest) and he often found his thoughts wandering to other things. Even though he _was _able to catch bits and pieces of what she was saying, Ash, in general, simply wasn't all that concerned over knowing what was going on in the first place.

"'It was pretty quiet, though,'" May continued, "'because Ernie was playing the piano.'"

He couldn't even remember the full title of the book, either. _The Catcher in the...Whatever-It-Was_. And the main character, Holden Something-or-Other, had also started to get on his nerves at least fifteen pages ago.

"'He had a big damn mirror in front of the piano, with this big spotlight on him, so that everybody could watch his face while he played. You couldn't see his _fingers_ while he played—just his big old face.'"

Then again, he realized, listening to May read the story out loud was still nice, despite the fact that the story itself wasn't holding his attention. He could feel himself growing more and more relaxed the more she spoke, a small smile eventually creeping onto his face as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

"'You should've heard the crowd, though, when he was finished. You would've puked. They went mad. They were exactly the same morons that laugh like hyenas in the movies at stuff that isn't funny. God, if I were a piano player or an actor or something and all those dopes thought I was terrific, I'd—"

Without warning, Ash sat up, leaned forward, and then silenced her with a short, hard kiss to her lips. May, after recovering from initial shock, smiled against his lips and returned the kiss before Ash pulled back moments later. She noticed a look of relief wash over his face and raised an eyebrow questioningly at him.

"This book is really boring, May," he told her.

"You mean you don't like it?" she asked, confused. He'd been so quiet the last hour that she had just assumed he had been really engrossed in the story.

"Not at all," he replied honestly. He readjusted himself so that he was once again lying back against his sleeping bag. "I mean, that Holden guy, all he ever does is whine about literally _everything_. That's all this book is even about—him whining. You don't find that annoying?"

May simply smiled. "Next time I'll let you pick the book then, Mr. Literary Critic."

"And where is that _New York _place anyway?" he rambled on petulantly. "Do they even have Pokemon there? It sounds like a really terrible place to live if you ask me."

"It's a novel, Ash." She closed the book and tucked it back inside her bag. "A work of fiction. New York doesn't actually exist."

May allowed herself a quick stretch before she sprawled out onto her back next to her boyfriend. "So, what should we do now? That was our only source of entertainment for the night."

"Hmm," Ash pondered aloud. He rolled over onto his side so he was facing her, before a knowing smile slowly formed on his face. "_Well_..."

May laughed again, rolling her eyes. "I should've guessed." She grinned back at him before shifting closer to him and then initiating another kiss between them.


	13. Dear Diary Part One

**A/N: **This is the first weekend I've had in months that I haven't had any homework to do. School has officially taken over my life, so I'm so sorry that I haven't gotten around to updating anything until now! But it definitely feels good to be writing Advanceshipping again after months of writing essays for school.

In any case, welcome to my next series of minishots under the _Kisses_ umbrella. I'm not entirely sure how many parts there will be total, but this has been really fun and quick to write so far. I mainly wanted to play with May's personality as much as I could while still trying to keep her in-character, so she'll have a little more spunk in these minishots than normal, as well as typical teenage girl syndrome. So, without further ado, enjoy :)

* * *

**Dear Diary, Part One  
**by S. Muffin

(Ash and May are 16 years old)

* * *

_In which your average teenage girl/professional Contest Coordinator just wants her first kiss._

* * *

Dear Diary,

Last night I had a dream that Ash kissed me. As you know, I've had several dreams like this over the past year, but this time it felt SO real. It was innocent and sweet, just like I usually imagine his kiss would be, and his lips were indescribably soft, but this time...this time it was like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

We were in a field of tall grass and wildflowers surrounded by a flock of Beautifly (it reminds me of my parents' honeymoon, so maybe we were on _our _honeymoon or something?). I was wearing a bright yellow sundress and he was wearing a dark pants and white linen shirt. We were holding hands and looking into each other's eyes, smiling and laughing. The sun gave his skin a soft golden hue and there was a warm breeze that gently passed through the field and tousled his unruly hair. I was totally lost in him.

Then he leaned down and kissed me, just like that. It was so...awesome.

Okay, so I guess it sounds pretty cliché. But when I woke up, my heart was beating really hard and really fast and my cheeks were burning red and I felt like I was floating, so, cliché or not, I don't really care. It was a wonderful dream and I never ever want to forget it.

So, I think I'm finally going to do it, Diary. I have to. This dream had to be a sign or something to help push me in the right direction.

I'm going to get on a boat, cross the ocean to Kanto, and tell Ash how I feel.

xxx

Dear Diary,

My boat to Pallet Town leaves in three hours (I bought my ticket two days ago!). I just finished packing, I'm BEYOND excited, and time could not be moving any slower right now.

Max is mad at me because I'm going to visit Ash without him. Normally I'd bring him with me if

A) I'd planned this more than just a few days in advance and if he wasn't so busy helping Dad out with things at the Gym

B) I wasn't planning on confessing to Ash while on this trip. It'd be hard to get a moment alone with him if he and my brother would be talking about Pokemon and battling and Gyms nonstop. Not to mention the teasing that would follow if Max found out what I was planning on doing. That is definitely the LAST thing I need.

Did you know that he almost read you yesterday, Diary? Yeah, I wasn't happy. Honestly, you'd think he'd have more important things to do with his spare time than read my diary. I thought he grew out of that immature stage in his life.

Anyway, I still have plenty of time to kill before I have to leave, so I'm going to go down to the Gym and spend some time with everyone. I promise I'll keep you posted!

xxx

Dear Diary,

May's Expedition, En Route to Pallet Town, Part One: I'm on the boat now. We'll be leaving the port in five minutes. I AM SO EXCITED!

xxx

Dear Diary,

May's Expedition, En Route to Pallet Town, Part Two: In exactly twenty minutes, I'll officially be in Pallet Town (I wanted to write about my "expedition" more than just these two entries, but the last 24 hours have been relatively uneventful). I know I should be getting my things together instead of writing, but I just felt like I had to get some things off my chest before I got off this boat and laid eyes on Ash for the first time in four months.

This is really happening, isn't it?

My hands won't stop shaking, so sorry for the sloppy handwriting. I'm just so nervous and excited that I can hardly hold still. Ash is actually going to be picking me up from the dock too and I can't wait to see him. Not only that, but I can't wait to finally tell him how I feel about him and get that kiss I've been literally dreaming about too. I just hope I don't panic and change my mind the last minute.

No, I definitely won't do that. I can't. I've waited too long and come too far just to chicken out. I can do this.

I can do this.

xxx

Dear Diary,

I've been in Pallet Town for only a couple hours and I can honestly say there's nowhere else I would rather be than by Ash's side.

Today is awesome. I've missed him so much.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Ash is in his room changing so he can take me out to dinner to celebrate my first night here in Pallet Town.

Oh. My. Gosh.

This is it. I'm going to do it. Wish me luck, Diary.

xxx

Dear Diary,

I lied. Today kind of sucks.

I'm too frustrated to write at the moment, so I'll be back later.

xxx

Dear Diary,

How can you tell if a guy likes your or not?

Especially a guy as romantically challenged as Ash Mother F-ing Ketchum.

UGH. I'm still too frustrated to write. I promise I'll let you know what's going on soon.

xxx

Dear Diary,

I'm back now, calmed down and ready to vent.

First things first, I just want to make it clear that I did it. I confessed.

HOWEVER, this whole confessing business is going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be.

You'd think that the fact that I came all the way here to Kanto from Hoenn for no other reason than to see Ash would be some sort of OBVIOUS indication to him that I really, really, really like him. But, like I said earlier: romantically challenged.

Well, Diary, it's like I told you. I decided to swallow my fears and confess my feelings to him my first night here (I didn't want to waste any time, considering I'll only be here for a week). For so long I've been simply writing about my undying crush for my best friend, but now I was determined to make today the day that I actually told him. I had everything planned out in my head. I was going to wait until we were alone, and then tell him all about how I've had a crush on him ever since I turned thirteen, and that I value his friendship more than anyone else's, and that he gives me Butterfrees and Beautiflies every time he smiles at me, and that I wouldn't be the Coordinator I am today without all of his help.

But then I thought that it'd be better to just keep things simple. I didn't want to overwhelm him or anything, and I didn't want to end up getting overwhelmed myself by having too much of this confession planned out. So I decided to start off with a simple confession and go from there.

On our way home from dinner I told him, "Ash, I really like you." Just like that. Short and to the point. What could go wrong?

His reply: "I like you too, May! You're an awesome friend."

Epic. Fail.


	14. Dear Diary Part Two

**A/N: **Hi again everyone! Welcome to part two of the Dear Diary series. I wasn't planning on updating so soon but since I've got most of Part Three already planned out I figured it wouldn't hurt to upload Part Two today. Thanks for all your kind words on Part One! I was glad to see you all liked it :)

* * *

**Dear Diary, Part Two  
**by S. Muffin

(Ash and May are 16 years old)

* * *

_In which your average teenage boy/world-renowned Pokemon Trainer just can't take a hint._

* * *

Dear Diary,

Today is my second day in Pallet Town. I just woke up about ten minutes ago, and am waiting for Mrs. Ketchum to call me down for breakfast before I force myself out of bed.

I really don't know if I can look Ash in the face today without becoming totally flustered. Last night, after my failed attempt to confess to him, I could barely form coherent sentences. I couldn't look him in the eye. I couldn't even finish the bowl of chocolate ice cream Mrs. K prepared for me as midnight snack. Of course, Ash didn't really seem to notice any of this at first, but eventually he asked me if I had a stomachache. Then he ate my ice cream for me.

Lesson learned: Subtlety and Ash Ketchum don't mix. At all.

Wow, listen to me...I sound totally depressed over nothing. Okay, so, last night didn't go as planned. Not even remotely close to my plan. No one can deny that. But that doesn't mean that I should throw in the towel. I wasn't able to confess properly my first day here, but I still have six more days in Pallet Town that I shouldn't let go to waste.

Alright! Today will definitely be the day, Diary. This time, when I tell Ash how I feel about him, I'm going to do it right. And I promise that the next time I write in you, I'll be Ash's girlfriend.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Technically I shouldn't be writing right now because I'm not Ash's girlfriend...YET. And I mean yet.

But I couldn't wait any longer and just had to write about how today was a lot worse than yesterday was. Trust me, this is definitely NOT how I wanted to update, but it is what it is I suppose. Anyway, today I had every intention to attempt once again to tell Ash how I felt about him. And this time around I was going to spell EVERYTHING out for him. Ash is just way too oblivious when it comes to romance, a lot more so than I had anticipated, so I realized that this was the only way to go about doing things.

We were playing catch with a frisbee outside while I was going over all of the details of the confession in my head. While doing so, though, I hadn't noticed Ash tossing the frisbee at me. So, the second I opened my mouth to get his attention, the frisbee hit me square in the face.

I'm telling you, Diary, there's no way I can make this stuff up. My nose even has the red scratch to prove it. Between Ash's hysterical laughter and my utter embarrassment, my confession was put on hold.

Well, tomorrow will be a new day. As the saying goes, "fall down seven times, stand up eight." Plus I still have plenty of time to get this right. I'll get it right. I swear I will.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Last night I had another dream that Ash kissed me. Sadly, I can't remember all of the details, but I do remember that, like the last dream I had, it was innocent, sweet, his lips were soft, and...and it was too good to be true.

xxx

Dear Diary,

During breakfast Ash asked me if I wanted to walk to Viridian City to go shopping.

I asked him if he was being serious. Since when was Ash, of all people, actually willing to go shopping? When we travelled together, he would do whatever it took to avoid stepping near a shopping mall.

He laughed at my reaction and said that he remembered how much fun I had in Viridian's giant shopping district the last time I was in Kanto so he figured he'd take me there again. He then proceeded to melt my heart with the following sentence:

"Besides, I want to do something special for my best friend while she's still here."

Today, Diary...today is the day.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Today in Viridian City, I bought a yellow sundress.

Nothing is going bring me down today, Diary. My dreams are finally going to come true.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Ash and I are watching TV right now in the living room while dinner is cooking, and so far everything is still going smoothly. I haven't tried confessing to him yet, but if things keep going the way have been all day I'll have myself a boyfriend and hopefully a kiss by midnight. He actually did jokingly try to steal you away from me a few minutes ago. I hit him over the head with you in retaliation. But now that I think about it more, I should have let him steal you and read all of the things I've been writing lately. That would make my life a lot easier. Maybe he'd actually get it for once.

Anyway, tomorrow Ash, Mrs. Ketchum, and I are all going over to Professor Oak's lab for brunch. When Ash, Pikachu, and I got back from Viridian City earlier today we stopped by the lab to pay the professor a visit, and that's when he invited us. From what I can tell, he's really going all out and planning something nice, so it'll be the perfect occasion for me to wear my new dress.

Before we left the lab, I made sure to call my mom and have her send Beautifly over to me. Just in case.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Boys are stupid. The end.

xxx

Dear Diary,

I looked him dead in the face while we were watching TV and told him that I loved him.

Yeah. I said the L word. I had my original speech all planned out in my head, but then I figured maybe telling him I loved him would REALLY get the point across. I mean, he couldn't be that oblivious, right?

Wrong.

This is how it went. Ash made a really funny joke about the show that was on. I'm horrible at retelling jokes, but it was really funny and I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard. Anyway, I was laughing at the joke, and he was laughing and grinning at me and the timing was perfect. Once I finally calmed down and tears were still in the corner of my eyes from laughing so hard, I said, "Ash, I love you."

His response: "I love you too, May!" More laughter. "You're an awesome friend."

THAT IS MY LEAST FAVORITE SENTENCE IN THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, DIARY. LEAST. FAVORITE. SENTENCE.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Okay, so, I realize now that the context of how I said "I love you" to Ash was not the best. In fact, it was pretty stupid of me to think he'd catch on. Anyone in the same situation could have mistaken my confession as something more lighthearted like "I love your sense of humor" or "I love spending time with you" or something else not nearly as deep as what I was trying to say. Especially someone like Ash.

It's official: I'm starting to lose patience. BUT...I'm not losing hope.

xxx

Dear Diary,

It's 1:24 AM and I just woke up from another Ash kisses May dream and this one felt so real it hurts. This time around we were at the port together, and I was about to get on a boat headed back to the Hoenn region. I distinctly remember the sinking feeling in the bottom of my stomach and how I felt like I would burst out into tears any second. But before I could say goodbye to him, he suddenly pulled me into his arms, gave me the tightest hug I could have ever imagined, and then kissed me deeply on the lips. It wasn't an innocent kiss, like I usually dream about our kisses being, but instead it was passionate and fiery and everything like a real lovers' kiss should be. I'm still getting chills just thinking about it now.

It's official. My subconscious mind is cheesier than all of the romance novels I've ever read put together.

Sigh. I just want him to kiss me, Diary. Is that really too much to ask?


	15. Dear Diary Part Three

**A/N: **So I was only planning on making the _Dear Diary_ series have a total of only three parts, but it's starting to get a bit out of control haha. Not only is this "minishot" just over 2,000 words, but while writing it I realized that if I ended _Dear Diary_ after only three parts it'd be too rushed. Given the circumstances, a fourth part is simply necessary now. So, that being said, I hope you all enjoy part three, and part four should be up within the next week!

* * *

**Dear Diary, Part Three  
**by S. Muffin

(Ash and May are 16 years old)

* * *

_In which life has a tendency to be bittersweet at best._

* * *

Dear Diary,

Today is my fourth day in Pallet Town. I have three more days to confess to Ash. Yes, I did already confess twice, but this time around I'll make sure he gets it.

We'll be leaving for brunch in about an hour, and right now I'm just waiting for Mrs. Ketchum to finish getting ready in the bathroom so I can take a shower and do my hair. Last I checked Ash was still sleeping, so (fingers crossed) I won't have to worry about him getting in there before me. I told Mrs. K about the yellow sundress I bought yesterday earlier this morning over tea, and she all but demanded to see it afterwards. Once I showed her she couldn't stop gushing over how pretty it was and it really encouraged me, actually. Now I'm confident that I can step things up and really wow Ash today. This is determination at its finest, Diary!

xxx

Dear Diary,

Delia (she told me to call her that from now on) just loaned me a pair of pearl earrings to wear with my dress. I put them on, changed into my dress, and then showed the complete outfit to her. She was so excited and kept telling me over and over how beautiful I looked. Then she told me to "knock her little boy's socks off!" and winked at me before going to wake said little boy up.

Something tells me I've been found out. But that's okay, because after that I F-ing LOVE Mrs. Ketchum.

xxx

Dear Diary,

I'm starting to get a bit nervous. Ash is upstairs getting ready, and I'm down in the living room going crazy waiting for him.

I really hope he likes my dress. I didn't show him what it looked like on me yesterday at the store because I wanted it to be a surprise, but now all I can think about is what _he's_ going to think. Gah!

xxx

Dear Diary,

Not enough time to explain, but holy macaroni I love my life right now.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Very long entry coming your way today, Diary. Short version: today was amazing.

Long version: first of all, when Ash was finally awake, showered, dressed, and ready to go (in a record time of ten minutes, I might add), he came downstairs dressed in what was probably the nicest outfit I've ever seen him in; dark blue jeans and a black, button-up shirt. When I saw him I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing for a good three seconds. He looked just as good, if not better, than he did in any of my clichéd dreams.

Second, when he saw me, his eyes went wide. And it gets better, because then he smiled at me and told me that my dress looked really nice. Pikachu also gave me a thumbs up of approval (I'm going to safely assume his favorite color is yellow).

Third, Delia insisted on taking pictures of the two of us before we left. She made us pose outside in front of the house and told Ash to put his arm around me (have I mentioned how awesome it is to have her on my team, by the way? Because it's really, really, REALLY awesome). Now when I go home I'll have a something to physically remind me of how unbelievably amazing today was.

Fourth, the brunch itself was fantastic. Prof. Oak really did go all out and planned something really nice for us all. We ate outside on the terrace, the weather was gorgeous, there was so much food and it was all amazing, and it was really nice to just sit around a table for about an hour or so and just talk about life. Afterwards, though, Ash, Pikachu, and I snuck off to one of the many fields on the professor's property where Ash's pokemon stayed.

I chose that moment to let Beautifly out of her pokeball, so she could socialize with Ash's pokemon and stretch her wings a bit. Ash was excited to see her, too, and after flying around for a little while she made herself comfortable on top of his head. I couldn't stop smiling at the two of them—it was such a cute sight.

From then on, everything was just perfect. Despite how infuriatingly dense he's been lately, Ash still makes me laugh and smile more than anyone else I know can. He started telling me all sorts of funny stories about his most recent travels and then I told him all about my last Contest win. He said he was glad that I was doing well, but that he missed travelling together and watching me compete. I told him I missed him too, a lot, but that I was glad I was able to visit him and spend all this quality time together. He agreed, and then said that he really admired how strong and independent I'd become since I started travelling alone, and that he was really proud of me and what I'd accomplished.

And then, well, I couldn't help it. I threw my arms around him and hugged him, burying my face into his shoulder to hide my oncoming blush. And you know what, Diary? He actually hugged me back. He seemed taken aback at first, but a few seconds later he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back so tightly I thought I would die of happiness. We didn't say anything else for a while. We just hugged.

The sun was warm. There was a gentle breeze in the clearing. I was wearing a yellow dress. And the whole time I was in Ash's arms I could hear Beautifly humming softly above our heads.

Like I said: perfect.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Last night I had another dream about Ash. It was cute and romantic, like they usually are, but the best part was that, this time around...reality is actually so much better than my dreams.

It's only 6:15 AM right now, so I'm going to try and sleep for another hour or so. I need all my energy for what I have planned next.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Now that I'm rested and awake, day five in Pallet Town has officially begun.

I am beyond determined to confess today, especially since yesterday was so amazing. But, then again, even though yesterday was wonderful and Ash hugged me and all that good stuff, I'm not going to get my hopes and assume that he's all of a sudden going to tell me that he's suddenly realized that he's madly in love with me and then together we'll run off into the sunset and live happily ever after (not that I'd mind or anything). I've already confessed to him twice and gotten hit in the face with a frisbee, and each time he was totally oblivious to what I was trying to say.

So, this time, I have a foolproof plan of action that I KNOW will work, because I refuse to fail again. Do you hear that, Diary? I refuse. I only have so much time left in Pallet Town and I can't let it go to waste. I won't go home empty-handed.

xxx

Dear Diary,

So far, everything is going according to plan today.

When Ash woke up earlier this morning, I was just about done making him breakfast (Delia had errands to run and didn't have enough time to make us food, so she left it up to me, saying that the way to Ash's heart was through his stomach. Then she winked at me and left the house. I've mentioned how much I adore this woman, right?). I wanted to go all out and really put all my effort into this breakfast, so I made stuffed French toast with bananas on top, freshly squeezed orange juice, bacon (crispy, just the way he likes it), and scrambled eggs—a true breakfast of champions if I do say so myself. I don't think I've ever seen Ash look so surprised than he did when he walked into the kitchen and saw all of the food on table.

Sometimes it's the little things Ash says that get to me the most. When I told him I'd done all of this just for him, he grinned at me and said, "You're the best, May!" It's a simple and very Ash-like thing to say, and yet it still made my heart race uncontrollably.

Right now Pikachu and I are waiting for Ash to finish up in the shower, and once he's done we'll be on our way to the park. When we get there, I'll be putting my new plan into action. Ash isn't gonna know what hit him.

xxx

Dear Diary,

I...I think I did it. Finally. Maybe. Hopefully.

Actually, I have no idea. Sigh.

Details later. I promise.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Explanation time: Mine and Ash's trip to the park was really fun. First, we walked around all of the nature trails, which was really pleasant and nice. We didn't really say much on our walk, but it was totally okay because it was a really comfortable and relaxed silence. Being able to enjoy each other's company was more than enough. Then, on our way back to the center of the park, we passed by an ice cream vendor. Ash's face lit up like a Christmas tree and he asked me if I wanted him to buy me some. Of course, I said yes, and a few minutes later we were on our way to the swing set with vanilla ice cream cones in each of our hands.

When I was halfway done with my cone, Ash thought it'd be funny give my hand a nudge so that I'd get ice cream all over my nose. Not exactly finding this idea to be all that amusing (whiel Ash, in the meantime, was practically dying of laughter), I retaliated by doing the same exact thing to him. But I should've known that wouldn't be enough to stop him. He suddenly got a really evil look on his face. His eyes were narrow and he was smirking like he had a huge secret, even though I had a pretty good idea about what he was about to do. Then he took his ice cream cone and wiped it across my cheek.

"You, Ash Ketchum," I threatened him, "are SO dead!"

We were pretty lucky that there weren't that many people on the playground the same time we were, otherwise we would've gotten a lot more strange looks than we did. Two teenagers chasing each other around a playground trying to smudge vanilla ice cream on each other's faces is a bit odd according to society's standards, but...you know what? Who the heck even cares, Diary! If society knew who we were in the first place, they wouldn't be remotely surprised, because we're Ash and May and sometimes we're still ten-year-olds at heart.

He finally had me cornered at the top of the biggest slide on the playground—a giant, hollow tube that kept us hidden from everyone else. I tried sliding down it so that I wouldn't get any more ice cream on my face or in my hair, but Ash grabbed my arm with his free hand and wouldn't let me move. And that was when it hit me. I had to put my plan into action right then and there before it was too late. We were alone and hidden from the rest of the world and his face was literally three inches away from mine and he was laughing and smiling at me and wiping the vanilla from his nose. So I did it. I kissed him.

Just like that, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. It was really short, didn't even last a full two seconds, but he tasted like vanilla and his lips were soft and his breath was warm and they were without a doubt the best two seconds of my life. Ugh, I thought for sure my heart would beat right out of my chest once I pulled back. Ash, on the other head, was slowly turning a deep shade of red and his eyes were really, really wide. Suddenly shy and embarrassed, I disappeared down the slide.

So, I know what you're thinking, Diary. Why don't I have any idea if my plan actually worked or not? Well, it's simple, really, because we haven't even spoken a word to each other since.

...Yeah. Not cool.

* * *

**A/N: **(Again, lol) Sorry for such a lame cliff-hanger guys! Bahaha


	16. Dear Diary Part Four

**A/N: **Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's been so kind to review these last few minishots! I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to all of your reviews personally, so I just wanted to make sure you all knew how much I appreciate it! I'm also incredibly sorry that it took me such a long time to get this last little chapter out. Anyway, I'm glad you all enjoyed reading this little series within _Kisses _and I hope you also enjoy reading the last part :)

* * *

**Dear Diary, Part Four  
**by S. Muffin

(Ash and May are 16 years old)

* * *

_In which happily ever after is always worth fighting for._

* * *

Dear Diary,

At the moment, I'm sad to report that things are still pretty awkward. Ash and I have barely spoken to each other lately, and when we do our conversations are always short and stiff and almost painful to endure.

Today is my sixth day here with at the Ketchum household. Tomorrow is my seventh day, meaning that it will be my last day. The day after that I have to be at the port to get on my boat by 8:00 AM.

This sucks.

xxx

Dear Diary,

A summary of Day Six thus far:

Woke up. Took a shower and got dressed. Went downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast was eaten in complete silence. Ash took off for Prof. Oak's lab immediately afterwards without so much as a glance in my direction. Delia finally asked me what was wrong between Ash and me, and I broke down and told her everything that happened.

I'm in the living room with a bowl of chocolate ice cream right now. She really is the best.

This is just so stupid. Why aren't we speaking to each other? Why hasn't he said anything to me about the kiss? Why haven't Isaid anything about the kiss?

UGHHHH.

xxx

Dear Diary,

I honestly don't know where I would be without Delia right now. This past week has given us the perfect opportunity to bond with one another, and she's quickly become like a second mother to me, which is exactly what I need right now since I don't have my own mom here to give me advice.

While I was working on polishing off my chocolate ice cream, she told me that, as a woman, there will be times when I have to be patient with men (men like Ash especially) when it comes to things like love and kissing and whatnot. However, she also said that Ash was more than likely really confused about his feelings and about our current situation, so waiting around for HIM to say something to ME is pretty much pointless. I have to be patient, true, but I can't keep avoiding him if I want anything good to come out of all this.

(I still can't get over the fact that she's basically helping me win her son over. I'm going to take it as a sign that good things are coming my way.)

So, now it's time to put the pieces back together again, Diary. All I need is a new plan and it should be smooth sailing from there.

xxx

Dear Diary,

Ash still hasn't come back from visiting the professor yet, so I'm working on brainstorming some ideas for my new plan while Delia makes lunch.

A) Simply tell Ash we need to talk about what happened, and then explain everything.

B) Attempt the "I love you" thing again. I'm thinking this time he'll catch on better.

C) Try not to get hit in the face with any flying objects (honestly, you never know).

D) Pretend like nothing happened. This obviously isn't the best option, but still an option nevertheless.

E) Kiss him again. Maybe this time he'll kiss back?

That's all I have so far. I'll let you know when I make a decision.

xxx

Dear Diary,

THIS. IS. TORTURE.

Holy sh...nikeys. Shnikeys? Eh, that works.

Ash made it home in time for lunch, but he still can't look me in the eye. With Delia's advice in mind, I tried my best to make conversation over lunch, but, like I said, he barely looked at me and his answers were clipped short and lacked their usual enthusiasm. I don't know what could be going through his mind right now, but he's acting so different that it's beginning to scare me.

Urgh. My stomach hurts. Too much chocolate ice cream, I think.

xxx

Dear Diary,

I know what to do now. And I seriously don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. Well, technically I did, actually. But I was only joking at the time so it doesn't really count.

Anyway, I'll let you know what happens tomorrow probably. I'm not going to have a chance to update you until then.

xxx

Dear Ash,

Before you open this book, I'm going to let you know right away what it is. It's my diary, and I want you to read it.

I promise you this isn't a trick and I promise I won't get mad at you for reading it, so don't freak out! (however, I should add for future reference that this is the ONLY time I'm giving you permission to do so). I really do want you to read it. Everything you need to know is inside this diary, everything that I've been trying to say to you the last few days and everything I've been waiting to say to you for so much longer than that. But, just in case it still doesn't sink in, I'll say one more thing before I end this note: I love you. I love you so much I can barely stand to keep quiet any longer. I've dreamed of nothing but being with you the past few nights. I want to kiss you. I want to be your girlfriend. And if all of that doesn't make you realize how I feel, then I swear I'll keep trying until I can finally make you realize just how much you mean to me.

Just so you know, you don't have to love me back yet. You don't have to love me back at all, actually. I don't want you to feel pressured in any way, like it's all too much too soon. But I know for sure that it can't be anything other than love. It just has to be. And I want us to at least talk about what's been going on before I have to leave.

So, yeah. I love you.

Talk to you soon, I hope,

May.

xxx

Dear Diary,

I lied; it's almost midnight, so I do have a chance to update you on what's been going on.

While Ash was in the shower, I snuck into his room and placed you on top of his bed with the note I wrote tucked in your front cover. Then I went downstairs to let Delia know what I did (you aren't the only one I have to keep updated around here, Diary). When I explained everything she laughed and said that she thought it was really clever, and then wished me luck. Finally, I went back upstairs to the guest room, sat down on the bed, and waited.

Let me tell you something, Diary. Those were the longest fifteen minutes of my entire life.

I started freaking out once I heard the bathroom door open and footsteps echoing down the hall. That was it. I couldn't go back and change what I'd done. Ash was headed straight for his bedroom, and was about to read my f-ing diary. Honestly, what kind of girl lets a guy read her diary? A diary I'd kept so guarded for so long, I'd willingly handed it over to him to read. I must be crazy.

Anyway, moving on to the good stuff now. I waited another five minutes or so before I finally gathered my courage and made my way to his bedroom. The suspense was starting to take its toll and I was dying to see his reaction. My heart was beating ridiculously fast, my palms were sweating, and I was already starting to blush. I couldn't handle another second of it without feeling like I'd faint at any moment.

Just as I'd lifted my hand to knock on the door, it suddenly opened. I stared with wide eyes as Ash emerged from the other side, looking just as shocked as I probably did. He'd been on his way out to the guest room, I realized.

And then he kissed me.

Yep, that's right. HE kissed ME. And it was so much better than our first kiss had been, and all of the other dream kisses I'd had combined, because this time HE was kissing ME and it was actually real and UGH just thinking about it now is giving me goose bumps. His arms were wrapped tightly around me but his lips were so sweet and gentle and kind of unsure, but wow is he a good kisser...

So, yeah, like I said. I just figured I'd let ya know how it all went. I also figured I should let you know that I have a boyfriend now. Oh, and did I mention he's coming back to Petalburg with me for a few days? If you couldn't tell, we've resolved quite a bit in the last few hours, and for once this week one of my plans actually worked in my favor.

Dreams really do come true, Diary, and happily-ever-after's really can exist. I don't think anything will be able to top this moment for me. Not for a very, very, VERY long time.

* * *

**A/N: **Quick shout out to Midnightmoon602 for her guessing skills! You basically hit the nail right on the head in your last review, I just didn't want to give the ending away, hehe :D


	17. Reward

**A/N: **Something very short yet hopefully very sweet for V-Day, featuring my favorite Pokemon pair :) Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**Reward  
**By S. Muffin

(Ash and May are 18 years old)

* * *

It was no secret that May was a complete sucker for all things romantic.

Growing up while watching her parents be so in love with one another was what contributed to this particular personality trait of hers. Not a single day of her childhood went by that she didn't witness her parents share secret smiles across the kitchen table, hold hands as they took short walks around the greenhouse attached to their family's Gym, kiss each other good morning and good night no matter who was watching, and an array of other small public displays of their deep affection for one another. To this day, despite the fact that they'd been together for so long, Norman and Caroline behaved like they were still newlyweds that simply couldn't get enough of each other, and after being exposed to a relationship such as her parents' from an early age, May couldn't help longing for a relationship just like theirs well into her teen years.

She'd made it one of her life's missions to make sure every couple she ever encountered was able to have a love so pure and genuine and everlasting. Love, she decided, was easily the best thing in the world, something that was meant to be shared and experienced by everyone, and as long as she was around to play matchmaker she would do whatever it took to make it happen.

It was why she'd helped Max purchase the perfect Christmas gift for his girlfriend Lizzie, an adorably sweet girl that had her know-it-all younger brother thoroughly besotted. He'd been unable to afford a pair of dangling pearl earrings that his significant other had apparently been eyeing for quite some time. Being the generous sister and hopeless romantic she was, May loaned him the remaining quarter of the money he needed so long as she got to be there and see the look on Lizzie's face when she opened her gift.

She had even successfully played matchmaker for Brock not too long ago, when he came to Hoenn to visit her and Max at the Gym right after New Year's. If there was anyone who appreciated love and romance as much as she did, or perhaps even more so, it was Brock. His strategy when it came to confessing to a woman, though, never seemed to be on par with his good intentions. After being rejected by Petalburg's resident Nurse Joy, May carefully coached him on how to refine his approach and the very next day the future Pokemon Doctor had a dinner date for two with his beloved Nurse. Perhaps it wasn't true love just yet, but it certainly was a good start, and May was pleased to know that the two still kept in touch regularly.

Her unwavering love _for_ love was also the reason why she had worked so hard to help Romeo profess his feelings to Juliet so many years ago when she was only ten years old, going so far as to convince Ash to dress up as Juliet in order to help Romeo practice his confession (something she still enjoyed teasing him about every now and then, much to his dismay and her amusement). The Volbeat and Illumise trainers had, of course, been mere strangers to her and her traveling companions when they met each other, but their story had been impossible for May to ignore and she'd wanted nothing more than to see the two live happily ever after, as cliché of a wish as it was. Luckily, her efforts had paid off, because just last week she'd received the couple's wedding invitation in the mail.

However, as much as she enjoyed helping other couples along the paths of their relationships, whether it was her family, her friends, or even perfect strangers, May had to admit that feeding the flames of her own relationship always proved to be far more gratifying. She took great pleasure in being an attentive, loving, and devoted girlfriend, wanting nothing more than to experience and share the beauty that was love and follow the footsteps of the many other relationships she'd witnessed over the course of her life.

So, on Valentine's Day, being the shameless and complete sucker for all things romantic that she was, when the Pokemon Coordinator woke up and found a vase full of red and yellow tulips placed on her bedside table next to a heart-shaped box of her favorite chocolate-covered cherries, her first reaction was to grin and squeal with absolute delight. May then rushed out of bed, ran down the hall towards the guestroom where her boyfriend was currently staying, and proceeded to give Ash the biggest good-morning/thank-you kiss that put all of her parents' kisses to shame, because after working so hard for love's sake for so many years it felt wonderful to be personally rewarded for her efforts.


	18. Sleepy Kisses and Snarky Little Brothers

**A/N:** It liiiives!

I'm not too big a fan of writing in first person POV with Advanceshipping these days, (especially Ash's POV, oigh!) but I wanted to change things up a bit and, more importantly, finally update _Kisses_! It's always fun to try something new, right? I have to admit, though, this one was kind of rushed...I may edit it in the future. Still, hope everyone enjoys.

Also, I can't seem to keep these "minishots" all that miniature anymore...but I don't want to upload this as its own oneshot, so into _Kisses_ it goes!

(Ash and May are in their early twenties in this not-so-minishot.)

**Edit 08 June 2012**: Already found some errors. But now they're fixed!

* * *

**Sleepy Kisses and Snarky Little Brothers**

By S. Muffin

* * *

It's exactly three in the morning when something startles me awake, according to the bright numbers of the alarm clock situated to the right of the bed. With my luck, it was probably the wind or something equally as stupid and unimportant, like branches rattling against my window, that interrupted my sleep. Thankfully, things like this don't happen to me very often, considering I'm one of the heaviest sleepers I know, but I still can't say that I'm a fan when it does happen.

Now that I think about it, I can't really say it's _my_ window, either. Then again, May's house is starting to become just as much of a home to me now as my own house back in Pallet Town.

Speaking of May, I feel her shift slightly at my side, burying her face against my shoulder as she does so. I manage to smile a bit as I brush a stray piece of hair away from her face. There's just something about the way she looks while she's asleep that makes me feel...I don't even know how to describe it. She looks so innocent and peaceful, a total contrast from her normal bubbly and energetic self. It's a nice difference, though; I like seeing all of the different sides of May's personality. Right now especially, she just looks so..._cute__. _I could honestly stare at her all night if I wasn't so tired. Maybe waking up in the early hours of the morning isn't all that bad if I get to catch a glimpse of her looking like this.

A lot of people like to tell me how dense I can be, May included. More specifically, the majority of my friends and family, sometimes even people I've only just met, like to tease me about the fact that I'm "romantically challenged," as they call it. It doesn't help my case that my girlfriend is also a self-proclaimed expert on everything pertaining to love and romance (she really is, though, so it's a fair title). They're all right, of course; this kind of stuff couldn't be further from my field of expertise.

But even I can recognize just how beautiful May is, inside and out, and I couldn't be luckier to have her as my girlfriend of almost four years.

Just as I close my eyes, more than ready to go back to sleep, I hear a quiet tapping sound coming from the door. Looking over my shoulder, I'm shocked to see Max peeking through a small crack between the wall and the door, a knowing smirk on his face.

I scowl at him, realizing that he was the one who woke me up in the first place. I'm hoping the less-than-thrilled look on my face will help him get the message and make him go away, but he taps on the door again and motions for me to get up.

"Go away!" I whisper.

Max just snorts, once again (and I know he does it purposely to annoy me) knocking on the door.

Sighing, I roll over and pick up the pajama pants I discarded much earlier that night off the floor, slipping them on under the bedcovers before forcing myself to part ways with the comfortable pillow beneath me.

"What are you doing here, Max?" I grumble irritably after making my way to the door.

He chuckles. "Sorry for intruding. You two looked pretty cozy in there." He looks over my shoulder to nod in his sister's direction.

I sigh again. It's awkward enough that my girlfriend's brother has to know that I sleep in the same bed as his sister on a regular basis, but the fact that he has now physically seen us in the act will undoubtedly cause him to poke fun at us (and by us I mean mostly _me_) even more than usual. I mean, Max is a close friend to me and he's also like a brother to me, for obvious reasons...but that kind of closeness often comes with good-natured teasing on his part.

"Where else am I supposed to sleep when I'm here?" I counter. "The couch?"

"We do _have _a guest room, you know," he replies matter-of-factly. "Honestly, Ash, I just don't want to wake up in the middle of the night only to hear you two—"

"What do you want?" I interrupt before he makes this situation even more awkward than it already is. Confused, I add, "And why are you dressed? Are you going out?"

"I'm here on official Gym business, actually," he says, his tone becoming serious. "I was having trouble sleeping, so I went downstairs to check on all of the Pokémon. My smart ass forgot to lock the door when I was done, though, and Vigoroth got out...I need some help finding him."

"Oh," I reply, my eyes widening. Too caught up in mine and Max's bickering, it hadn't even occurred to me that something seriously wrong could have happened. "Wait, why didn't you just wake Norman up, though? He's probably the best person for the job. Vigoroth is _his_ Pokémon, after all."

"Well, this isn't exactly the first time this has ever happened before," he explains, rubbing the back of his neck with an embarrassed look on his face. "I was originally trying to wake May up so that I could ask her to help me and _not_ get in trouble with Dad, but you were the one who woke up. So, if you don't mind..."

I nod. "Yeah, sure thing, Max. I'll help you out. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble."

"Thanks, Ash," he says, breathing a sigh of relief. "I owe you one."

"Stop making fun of me and May, maybe?" I suggest hopefully.

He laughs at me and shrugs. "Eh...I'll think about it."

Laughing with him, I walk back towards the bed and start looking for the shirt I had thrown somewhere. After pulling it on and changing out my pajama bottoms for my jeans, I sit back down on the edge of the bed and gently nudge May awake. As much as I'd love to slip back underneath the blankets and fall asleep again with her in my arms, I know I can't just let Max go searching for Vigoroth on his own. He would definitely help me out in a similar situation if I needed him to, and I also don't want Vigoroth getting into any trouble, either.

"Ash?" She looks at me with tired, unfocused eyes as she stirs awake. "What are you doing?"

"One of the Pokémon got loose," I explain, scooting closer to her. "I'm going to help Max look for him, but I just wanted to let you know where I'd be. Go back to sleep now, all right?"

Still confused, May looks up towards the door, eyes landing on Max.

"Max, what happened?" she asks him, sitting up slightly before letting out a loud yawn. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Vigoroth just got out of the greenhouse again, that's all," he answers. "I was going to ask you to help me find him, but Ash woke up first and said he would come with me."

May's eyes immediately fill with worry. "Oh, shoot, not again! If you can wait just another minute, I'll get up and help you—"

"It's alright, May," I interrupt her suddenly, giving her a small smile. "I don't mind helping Max out. I know you're tired, so you should just go back to sleep if you can."

She looks at me hesitantly. "Are you sure?"

I nod. "Positive. Why wouldn't I be?"

She shrugs in response. "I don't know. Aren't you tired, too?"

"A little bit, yeah," I tell her. "But I'll be okay."

"I don't know..." she repeats, trailing off. "I'd just feel bad making you go for me, I guess, since it's more-or-less a family Gym thing."

"I'm pretty much family now, though, right?" I ask with a chuckle.

Her eyes go wide for a moment, but after another moment she finally smiles back at me.

"You shouldn't feel bad about that," I continue to assure her. "It won't take us too long to find Vigoroth, I don't think. I'll go check on Pikachu at the greenhouse and see if he wants to help us out, too."

May nods, seemingly satisfied with my plan. "Hurry back, then?"

"You bet," I reply, kissing her shortly, before moving to get back up.

Just as I'm about to stand up completely, though, I feel a tug on my wrist, prompting me to sit back down. As I flop back down onto the mattress, May tugs me even closer and kisses me again, her lips moving softly and slowly over mine. I reach out and gently grab onto her shoulder, returning the kiss and deepening it just a bit more as Butterfrees start to explode throughout my stomach. Even after dating for several years, and being best friends for even longer than that, May still has this crazy ability to make me feel just as nervous and excited as I felt when I realized I cared about her, when I finally told her I loved her, and when I kissed her for the very first time. I can't think of anyone else who would ever be able to make me feel this way from just a simple, sleepy kiss. I don't want to.

I smile at her again as I pull back. "Sleep tight, May."

"Thanks, Ash," she replies, leaning back against her pillow. She already looks like she's half-asleep again, her eyes becoming more half-lidded by the second. "Good luck. Bring your Pokégear and call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay." Standing up from the bed, I grab my Pokégear from May's nightstand and then make my way across the room back towards the door, remembering to grab my sweatshirt that I left hanging on the doorknob as well. As I softly shut the door behind me, I notice that Max is now leaning against the opposite wall away from the doorway.

I sigh in relief. It's nice to know that he at least he has _some _decency.

"Ready to go?" he asks.

"Yep," I reply. "Let's go get Pikachu and then head out."

-x-

Our walk to the Petalburg Gym's greenhouse is oddly silent, especially since Max is generally the talkative type. Part of me wonders if he's actually decided to stop teasing me for the time being, or if maybe he's too worried over the Vigoroth situation to think about anything else.

Glancing at him from the corner of my eye, I see him smirking slightly to himself again.

I should have figured it was too good to be true.

"What is it?" I ask, despite the fact that every last bit of my conscience is telling me _not _to bring it up.

"Ohhh, nothing," he drawls out nonchalantly, folding his arms behind his head. "I'm just thinking about how much you two crazy kids have grown up, that's all."

I shake my head. "We _really_ don't need to continue this conversation, Max."

He scoffs. "I'm actually trying to give you a genuine compliment! You and May really have grown up a lot. You both have steady incomes as a Trainer and a Coordinator respectively, you're still traveling together, you've remained faithful to each other, _and_, on top of all that, you haven't accidentally reproduced, either! I'd say the two of you are definitely on the right track."

"_Max_—!"

"Hey, if you think _me_ being here is bad," he continues, ignoring my opposition, "just imagine what it would've been like if my mom or dad saw the two of you like that." He pauses in order to chuckle at his idea. "I mean, yeah, they know you two sleep in the same room, you've been together forever, you're mature adults, blah, blah, blah. But if Dad was here he would probably be lecturing your ear off about not wanting grandchildren just yet and all of that good stuff. Don't worry, though; your secret's safe with me!"

I nearly cringe at the thought...mainly because Norman and I _have _had that discussion on more than one occasion.

Still, I can't let Max know that his remark actually got to me.

"At least I didn't let my Gym Leader Dad's Pokémon escape at three in the morning, like _somebody _else I know did."

"...Touché, Ash. Touché."


	19. Back to Reality

**A/N:** Huh? What was that? Plot, you say? What's a plot? Sorry, but sometimes you just need to kiss someone for the sake of kissing someone, gosh darn it!

This isn't as polished as other _Kisses _chapters, so I apologize in advance for that, too. It was meant to be a quick minishot to just finally get rid of a plot bunny, but...well, I did get kind of carried away a bit later on. There is implied ~smexy~ times, but that's all that will be seen here. The longer and NSFW version of this installment, however, can be found at my LiveJournal if you are interested (link will be on my profile page).

The title will make more sense if you read the full version, but, if you don't like to read that type of fanfiction, then don't, lol. You have been appropriately warned!

* * *

**Back to Reality  
**By S. Muffin

(Ash and May are both in their 20s)

* * *

Slowly, Ash leaned over and kissed her just like that, his lips softly brushing over hers in chaste kisses. May sighed quietly into the contact, contentedly, feeling goose-bumps start to graze her skin when she tilted her head in order to properly return the kiss. She hadn't expected him to kiss her so suddenly, so sweetly, but she certainly couldn't bring herself to complain. She reached out to gently touch his face, thumb brushing the angled plane of his jaw.

May didn't find herself complaining when their kisses quickly intensified as the moments passed, either. Before she could even process what was beginning to unfold, what all of this kissing could possibly escalate to in the very near future, the couch cushions were giving way beneath her back and Ash was hovering above her with a victorious smirk on his face. He leaned down to kiss her again and she arched her back immediately in response, her torso pressing against his as chills coiled down her spine.

There was something different about the way he was kissing her now, though, compared to all the other times they found themselves kissing so passionately on the living room couch. His mouth was slow and longing, savoring every last shared breath between them. May indulged in a faint smile, just big enough to let him know what she was thinking but small enough so that she could continue kissing him at the same time.

He responded by slipping a hand beneath her shirt.

Gasping lightly, May's back instinctively arched once again as she tightened her arms around his shoulders. Ash glided his fingers over her ribs, lifting her shirt up her torso and taking advantage of her open mouth to further deepen the kiss.

May let out another muffled sound that vaguely resembled a whimper, her hands reaching up to cradle the back of Ash's head. She threaded her fingers between the dark, unruly locks of his hair and pulled him down closer.

"Why do you wear these things?" he mumbled against her lips a little while later, impatiently working his fingers over the buttons of her red collared blouse.

May laughed airily and grinned at him. "To bug you, of course."

He smiled at her briefly and then turned his attention back to the task at hand. He slowly parted the folds of her shirt when the last of the troublesome buttons were finally undone and stared at her for several long seconds, eyes sweeping over her exposed skin. She was practically glowing from the soft shade of golden light cast by the old lamp just beside the sofa. She looked almost ethereal, far too astounding to be of this world. Whatever it was that he had done to deserve such a wonderful and beautiful girlfriend, Ash was just eternally grateful that she was here.

"You're beautiful, May," he murmured in admiration.

May blushed at his words and under the intensity of his gaze, before slowly sitting up and sliding her hands underneath his T-shirt. She then flung the interfering garment to the side without a second thought.

"So are you," she replied, winking playfully.

Ash leaned in to kiss her again, softer this time, slowing their pace back down to the original one he had initiated. His lips moved over hers in delicate strokes, inviting yet teasing at the very same time. May placed a hand on his face and put her other arm around his shoulders again, knowing what would be coming next. When his arms were wound securely around her in return, she allowed him to lift her up by the waist and carry her over to their bedroom.


	20. Chemistry Creep

**A/N: **Yes, this is AU. Yes, this is kinda out of character. No, you don't have to read it if you don't like that sorta thing. :D

Ash, May, and Dawn (though she is only mentioned and not actually seen) are all in college in this fic, therefore they're all around 20-ish years old. Chemistry Creep is a character of my creation. I do not own Pokemon. Etc.

That said, hope you guys enjoy this update!

* * *

**Chemistry Creep  
**By S. Muffin

* * *

As May walked around campus late one afternoon, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

She was on her way to a group study session that she planned earlier with her best friends Dawn and Ash, but she had several stops to make while on her way to the library.

She first realized someone watching her in the dining hall. She was in the café section, waiting to buy a tall cup of coffee to help her stay alert as she pored over her Statistics textbook for the evening. After a couple of minutes of waiting in line, she could have sworn she felt a pair of eyes on her, following her movements closely as she moved up towards the counter. Unnerved, May surreptitiously glanced over her shoulder, but she couldn't see anyone in particular that appeared to be staring at her.

When it was her turn to order, May hurriedly told the barista what she wanted and when she received her order made a quick dash for the door. The feeling persisted, but lessened as she walked faster and faster across campus.

Her next stop was her Statistics professor's office, hoping to ask him a few questions that would help her as she studied. When she entered the building, she was relieved when it occurred to her that the feeling of being watched had disappeared.

_Maybe_, she thought, _I'm just imagining things._

When she was at last on her way to the library, though, the feeling returned. Not only that, but it became worse, as if someone was now following her. May clutched the strap of her backpack tightly, knuckles turning white. She was angry now, frustrated because she couldn't pinpoint the location of her stalker. At this point it simply couldn't have been her imagination.

Carefully, she once again looked over shoulder, and that's when she finally caught sight of him.

May sucked in a gasp and held her breath once she realized who he was. He was a boy from her Chemistry lecture that typically sat behind her. Every day he would put his feet on her chair, lean over to copy her notes, make offhand remarks about the course material or their professor while she was trying to listen to the lecture, and just about anything else to get her attention. He had just recently asked her for her number as well — "...so that we can talk about homework and stuff," he had said — but May declined his oh-so generous offer without a second thought.

"Hey, May!"

May jumped and turned around, expecting the worst.

"Ash! It's you," she said, a small smile coming to her face. Never had she been more relieved to see her best friend.

Ash grinned back at her. "Fancy bumping into you here, study buddy. Was Professor Mills in his office?"

Ignoring his question, May walked over to him and reached out to grab his hand. Ash raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I need a favor," she said quietly. "See that weird guy standing behind us?"

Ash discreetly peered over May's shoulder. His gaze landed on May's stalker, who was now leaning against another building nearby. Ash's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"That's Chemistry Creep," she elaborated. "I told you about him, remember?"

"Has he been bothering you again, May?" Ash asked, a slight hint of anger in his voice.

May nodded. "He's been following me ever since I picked up my coffee."

May felt Ash's grip on her hand tighten.

"Could you...I don't know, pretend to be my boyfriend or something?" she went on. "Put your arm around me, say you love me, or something like that. Maybe that will finally get it through to him that I'm not interested."

Ash cast a final glance over at the Chemistry Creep, before looking back down at May. He smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing, babe," he said, making sure that his voice was loud enough to catch May's stalker's attention.

May tried not to laugh. Playing along, she said, "Aw, thank you, Ash! You're the best boyfriend ever."

"I do what I can," he replied cheekily. He winked at her playfully, causing her to giggle.

Then, Ash did something May never would have expected.

He lowered his head and kissed her lips, releasing her hand so that he could cradle the back of her head. May froze momentarily in shock, but quickly scrambled to return the kiss in order to make it look convincing. She hummed quietly, content, as she leaned into him and enjoyed the kiss, reaching up to gently touch his cheek and prolong the kiss for several more wonderful seconds.

"You taste like coffee," he murmured as he pulled away, smirking as he nodded to at the carton in her hands.

May blushed and smiled back. Her heartbeat was echoing loudly in her ears and her stomach was filled to the brim with butterflies.

"Chemistry Creep also took his cue to leave," Ash continued, pointing to the now empty spot where Chemistry Creep had been standing only moments before.

May sighed in relief. "Finally! Thank goodness... Though, I will admit, I wouldn't mind chasing him away a few more times if that's what it entails."

She felt her face grow warmer at her own boldness, but she met his gaze knowingly.

Chuckling at her confession, Ash took hold of her hand once more and began leading her towards the library.

"Come on," he said. "The sooner we finish studying, the sooner we can do just that."


	21. Night Terrors

**A/N: **I wrote this very quickly because I can't sleep. I wrote it and am uploading it from my iPhone, so I apologize in advance for potential mistakes.

Edit: I've gone back and fixed some mistakes and other things I wasn't too happy with. That's what happens when you write a drabble in the middle of the night on your phone. xD

Warning: I dropped an f-bomb in this drabble. Please read at your own discretion. Don't be mad at me for swearing!

* * *

**Night Terrors  
**By S. Muffin

(Ash and May are both ~20 years old)

* * *

Panic set in.

May shot up in bed. Her fingers gripped the sheets with great ferocity as she breathed in deeply through her nose and exhaled loudly a few moments later.

Her heart hammered loudly against her ribcage and for a moment she was convinced that she was dying. The frantic beat echoed in her ears like a drum.

_Thumpthump-thumpthump-thumpthump_.

Her thoughts swirled erratically in her mind as she continued to breathe in and out deeply. She tried to rationalize and make sense of it all, but she couldn't. She searched her brain for answers and found none. She couldn't even bring herself to move and it scared her so bad.

What do I do? she wondered. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?

Tears stung at the corners of her eyes and her throat started to feel like it was going to swell shut. The panic increased instantly and her echoing heartbeat persisted.

_Thumpthump-thumpthump-thumpthump. _

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what else to think. This was bad - badbadbad. She was horrified. She was hyperventilating, possibly even dying. She wanted to die. She wanted it to end no matter the cost. Her throat hurt, her eyes hurt, everything fucking hurt.

She curled up into a ball and began to sob with abandon. Tremors wracked her small frame, tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and May willed herself to let go completely. She cried and screamed and rocked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Her breathing grew harsh and frantic and desperate. Her heart continued to pound.

_Thumpthump-thumpthump-thumpthump-thumpthump._

___T____humpthump-thumpthump-thumpthump-thumpthump._

"May?"

May gasped and looked up. Through her watery gaze, she saw her boyfriend sitting up beside her in their bed. She froze, her expression crumpling in shame.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Ash asked gently.

Weakly, she nodded.

Frowning, Ash reached for her and pulled her into his arms without another moment's hesitation. May accepted the gesture and returned it wholeheartedly, burrowing into his chest. She continued to cry against the cotton fabric of his shirt and clinged to him with all she had. Her hands dug into the backs of his shoulders as he adjusted his grip around her and drew her into his lap.

Ash shushed her and began to stroke her hair back away from her face, whispering "It's okay" and "I got you, baby" and "Everything will be all right" over and over and over again. He cradled her in his embrace and comforted her as best as he knew how, whispering reassurances and trying to make her feel safe.

Seconds stretched into minutes, and the couple remained in the same state for at least twenty of them. At long last, May gradually relaxed in Ash's arms. The panic slowly dissipated as rational thought returned to her.

She hated waking up like this in the middle of the night without any indication why. Her night terrors had no rhyme or reason, and as hard as she tried she simply couldn't remember what awful stories they spun in her subconscious mind. The anxiety attacks and sheer panic she experienced afterward would never, ever make sense. She hated it. She _hated_ it.

But one thing, she thought as Ash peppered kisses across the top of her head, would always make sense. And that was him, his arms around her, and the gentle, steady beat of his heart beneath her ear.

_Thumpthump._

_Thumpthump._

_Thumpthump._


End file.
